Saudi Arabia’s municipal elections will be held on December 12th and will mark the first time that women are allowed to vote and campaign for public office.
According to CNN, more than 900 women are currently campaigning, but of those women most are being met with heavy resistance from a nation that is just now finding its footing when it comes to women’s rights.
“Despite the elections, the country remains an absolute monarchy ruled by the Saud family, which governs according to a strict Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam,” explains CNN.
In some cases women are claiming, through social media, that they’ve been disqualified from the elections and as a result highlighting both the positives and the stark realities of the decree that now allows women to vote and run for office.
Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock.
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